An unknown number of immigrants living in Athens were apprehended over the weekend as part of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Immigrants were also detained in Huntsville, Decatur and Hartselle, according to the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice. The group is now calling those detained individuals the “Alabama 40.”

“The terrified families of the detainees do not wish to make public statements for fear of retaliation, and most are not willing to come forward for help,” said a statement from the ACIJ. “Among the arrested were people with no criminal record who were present for a sweep for the specifically targeted. One family reported that their home was broken into forcibly to make the illegal arrest, leaving behind a mother and her two children.”

In addition to the press conference, the coalition had planned a prayer vigil Tuesday night at the DeKalb County Jail, where many of the immigrants were being held.

A statement from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said President Donald Trump has been clear in saying the DHS should be focused on removing individuals who pose a threat to public safety, who have been charged with criminal offenses, who have committed multiple immigration violations or who have been deported and re-entered the country illegally.

When asked the names of those individuals apprehended and the circumstances surrounding their arrest, Spokesman Thomas Byrd said ICE would not confirm an operation prior to completion nor speculate on future activities.

“ICE regularly conducts targeted enforcement operations during which additional resources and personnel are dedicated to apprehending deportable foreign nationals,” Byrd said. “All enforcement activities are conducted with the same level of professionalism and respect that ICE officers exhibit every day. The focus of these targeted enforcement operations is consistent with the routine, targeted arrests carried out by ICE’s Fugitive Operations Teams on a daily basis.”

At Tuesday’s press conference, ACIJ officials called for those immigrants to be released. Those who spoke said the immigrants who were apprehended were taken without cause and without warrants.

Without discussing specific cases, however, Byrd said the court system is at the root of ICE operations.

“For aliens who have had their due process and have been ordered to depart the U.S. by a federal judge, it is ICE’s duty to execute those judicial orders,” he said. “The taxpayers of this country spend a significant amount of money on the apprehension, detention, and judicial proceedings of individuals entering the U.S. in violation of federal law. When a federal court issues a final decision, those orders must be implemented by ICE.”

Civil rights issue

NAACP State Conference President Benard Simelton said the immigrant roundup is indicative of a Trump presidency. More importantly, he believes it’s a sign of things to come as former Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions fulfills the duties of U.S. attorney general.

Simelton was among the NAACP’s top leaders who heavily protested Sessions’ being appointed to the post.

“This is exactly what we thought would happen with Sessions because we knew where he stood on immigration,” Simelton said. “We have a situation with immigration in the United States and we don’t want to do anything about it. We don’t support building a wall and don’t think it will be built.”

Simelton said the immigration issue should instead be solved legislatively and give immigrants who are in the United States a path to obtain a work visa or citizenship.

“If they have a clean (criminal) record, why not allow them to become citizens?” he asked.